


A Heart's Free-Fall

by rawrlsy



Category: Haikyuu!!
Genre: AkaBoku - Freeform, Bokuto - Freeform, Confession, Fluff, It's all fluff, M/M, akaashi - Freeform, bokuto almost pisses himself like 4 times because of how excited he gets, maybe a little angst?
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-02-12
Updated: 2016-02-12
Packaged: 2018-05-19 21:00:04
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,247
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5980771
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/rawrlsy/pseuds/rawrlsy
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Bokuto and Akaashi ride the rollercoaster of their lives.</p>
            </blockquote>





	A Heart's Free-Fall

**Author's Note:**

> This is the third prompt that I was given on Tumblr!
> 
> Prompt: Thing you said when you were scared.
> 
> Thank you for stumbling upon this work, and please tell me how I can improve my writing!

Bokuto was absolutely _floored._

There stood the giant _thing,_ four-hundred and twenty feet of pure air and bliss.

 Seventeen seconds of unadulterated thrill.

 Bokuto was about to ride the Top-Thrill Dragster, the rollercoaster that he had dreamt about since he experienced his first rollercoaster in Tokyo Disney. He loved volleyball – he ate, breathed, and lived by it – but there was just _something_ rollercoasters gave him that volleyball just couldn’t.

Spiking the ball when his stretched over the net, being able to see the terrified and helpless eyes of his opponents – that certainly made him work to become one of the best aces in Japan.

But there was just something special about rollercoasters.

Toying with death while he plummeted from the skies, freefalling like an owl swooping in to catch his prey.

Now that was _thrill._

“Akaashi,” Bokuto practically shouted, receiving an annoyed side-eye from his companion. “We’re so close to the front, just look!” Bokuto pointed excitedly at the top of the rollercoaster, just before the people on their ride fell in a straight shot back to Earth.

Bokuto had chosen Akaashi – the one who disliked rollercoasters the most – as the unfortunate soul among the Fukurodani Volleyball team to have been dragged to brave this ride with him. For the past hour and a half, Akaashi had to endure the endless chatter and the occasional excited scream emanating from Bokuto’s not-so-subtle joy. It had only gotten worse the closer they got to the front of the line.

“Bokuto-san,” Akaashi, trying to hide the sigh in his voice. “Stop yelling, please. You’re attracting attention.”

All throughout the line, heads had turned towards Bokuto and Akaashi whenever Bokuto said something – _anything._ There was just so much _volume_ to Bokuto’s voice.

“Akaashi, sound more excited! Do you _see_ what we’re about to do?” Bokuto exclaimed. “Hey, hey! They’re falling _backwards_!” Bokuto went to explain how the rollercoaster car didn’t get enough momentum at the launch sometimes, so when it reached the top of the peak, it would fall back down. Bokuto didn’t know which one he wanted more – to plummet forward, or to free-fall backwards.

“It’s just a rollercoaster,” Akaashi remarked, turning his gaze to the crowds around them.

“It’s a legend!”

“No, it’s not, Bokuto-san. Legends aren’t real but this rollercoaster is literally right in front of us.”

“You know what I mean,” Bokuto pouted. He craned his head around the crowds of people in front of him. The two boys were so close to the front, Akaashi had to grab the back of Bokuto’s shirt to prevent him from climbing up the railings that separated the lines even further to get a better look. “Almost there!”

“You’d think the line would move faster, since the ride only lasts seventeen seconds.”

Bokuto got down from the metal railings, using Akaashi’s shoulders are a cushion for his landing. He landed awkwardly, however, and ended up toppling into Akaashi. Their faces were inches apart. Bokuto could feel himself flush.

“Bokuto-san,” Akaashi said calmly.

Bokuto let out a laugh, roughly clapping Akaashi in the back. “I’m sorry, Akaashi!”

Akaashi didn’t say anything and avoided looking at Bokuto. Bokuto could see how red his ears were – was Akaashi angry or embarrassed? He took a sizeable step away from Akaashi now, genuinely concerned that Akaashi’s patience ran out on him.

“Akaashi?” Bokuto asked. He blinked at Akaashi, who had a hand on his neck, focusing his attention on something behind Bokuto. Even in his subtleness, Bokuto was always blown away by how handsome Akaashi was. His hair was always messy, but it suited him. They curled at his temples, which Bokuto found endearing. Akaashi’s eyes were always concentrated, calculating, taking the situation fully and accurately, especially on the court. It was strange to see Akaashi’s eyes on the ground where his eyes were always straight ahead, or at the sky. Bokuto wished that Akaashi’s eyes would land on him instead. He blushed at that thought.

If only.

The two boys hadn’t always been this…tense. Bokuto remembered the time where Akaashi would _never_ look at the ground. No, it wasn’t even that – Akaashi hadn’t even looked at Bokuto – truly looked a Bokuto – since that day.

They had been eating lunch together, as on any regular school day. A lot of people thought it was odd – Bokuto was a year older than Akaashi and students didn’t usually spend time with people outside of their year– but they didn’t really mind it. Well, Bokuto assumed Akaashi never minded it, at least. Bokuto enjoyed Akaashi’s company, and he could only think that it was reciprocated since Akaashi never said he wanted to stop these lunches with his captain.

The more time they spent together, Bokuto had started to see Akaashi in a different light. He had begun to notice small things about Akaashi that would make him smile – the way Akaashi held his chopsticks at the far end instead of the middle like most people, the way he closed his eyes right before taking a bite of food, the small exhale he makes right before he sets the ball on the court, the way he looked at Bokuto whenever he was talking that made it seem like all of his attention was focused on Bokuto and Bokuto only.

Those small moments were the times Bokuto realized the churning of his stomach that made it hard for him to keep his composure in front of Akaashi.

Since Akaashi never rejected his lunch invites, Bokuto dared to allow himself to have a hope , a small hope, that Akaashi, maybe, could possible, feel the same way.

Then Bokuto had to go confess to Akaashi.

_Listen, Akaashi. I really like spending time with you, and – and I really want you to like spending time with me too._

_So instead of eating just lunch, why don’t we…go out to dinner?_

Bokuto couldn’t look at Akaashi while he said those words. So, with his eyes glued to the ground, he could only watch as Akaashi walked away, not uttering a word to him.

They had volleyball practice the next day. Everything seemed alright, but there was one small change that cracked Bokuto’s heart.

Instead of looking at Bokuto when Bokuto called to him, Akaashi would only look at the ground.

Now, it was all Bokuto could do to maintain – no, _fix_ whatever was left in their relationship.

“Ne, Akaashi, I’m sorry, alright?” Bokuto said, his tone quieter this time, trying to swallow whatever desperation he was feeling. He took another step back from Akaashi, who simply shook his head.

“It’s fine, Bokuto-san,” Akaashi finally replied, his voice steady.  Still, his eyes were downcast.

 _No, it’s not fine, not since I messed up,_ Bokuto wanted to say. He held his tongue and gave a bright smile, trying to alleviate the mood. “You’re not _scared,_ are you?”

Bokuto was rewarded with an indignant glare from Akaashi, which made his heart skip a beat. “No, I am not scared. I was just caught off guard.” Akaashi paused. “Come on.” Without warning, Akaashi reached out and lightly gripped on the sleeve of Bokuto’s shirt, pulling them forward in line. Bokuto hadn’t even noticed how far they had fallen behind in that short amount of time.

Beyond the railing that separated the lines, the giggles of two girls reached their ears as the two boys walked past them. Bokuto turned towards the sound and looked down to see two high school girls looking at Bokuto. One of them smacked the other. The one who was chastised by her friend let her gaze linger over Bokuto’s face they moved up in line, away from them. Bokuto tilted his head.

Next to him, Akaashi let out a sharp sigh.

“What?” Bokuto immediately asked, confused and slightly annoyed. It was enough to keep a cool atmosphere around Akaashi, but it didn’t make it easier if Bokuto couldn’t read his mind.

“Nothing.”

Bokuto wanted to grab Akaashi and shake some sense into him. “Clearly, there’s _something_ wrong. What is it? You can tell me!”

“I don’t have to tell you everything about my life all the time, Bokuto-san,” Akaashi snapped back. Bokuto could feel himself flinch; he had never heard Akaashi so bitter before.

Bokuto didn’t want to bring it up. He really didn’t – he wanted to through his life without wanting to talk about the confession. But he thought, he _knew_ , that the confession was the cause of their tension. It had only been a few weeks, but it felt like years to Bokuto.

Facing Akaashi, Bokuto took a deep breath before starting. “Akaashi, I know what this is about. On that day, I messed up. Okay? Just –”

“I just hate how people are looking at you. All the time.”

Bokuto had to process what happened. His mouth was still opened, in mid-sentence, but he didn’t know what surprised him more: Akaashi interrupting him, or what Akaashi had just said. Akaashi was so quiet among the crowd of people, Bokuto thought he heard wrong. Before he could ask Akaashi to repeat himself, however, Akaashi already started to speak again.

“You don’t realize this – you _never_ realize this – but you actually turn heads, you know. You always tell me that I’m “pretty,” but you – you really undersell yourself.” Akaahi’s face was turning into an alarming shade of red. Akaashi was _flustered._ “You’re tall, you’ve got this great built, and you’ve got this laugh that just…it just…” Akaashi faltered. His eyes were darting around everywhere, refusing to land on Bokuto. “It’s so…I love it.”

Bokuto couldn’t believe what he was hearing. He couldn’t believe what he was seeing either – he had never seen Akaashi so panicked before.

Akaashi continued, speaking faster now. “Those two girls, those two that just passed us, have been staring at you since we got in line, and the shorter one just stares at you like she wants to devour you.” Akaashi’s eyes darted to Bokuto before tearing them away again. “And you’re just here, shouting about this rollercoaster, and they just look back every time you say something. You don’t even notice these things. At all. I love that best about you – but sometimes I want to just push all these people away. And just have you right here with me.”

Bokuto didn’t say anything, unsure of what even to say. He simply stared at Akaashi, for he didn’t even know how long. He waited for a new onslaught of words from his friend, but Akaashi remained silent. Finally, Bokuto spoke.

“Akaashi, are you _jealous_?” Bokuto asked this in the most neutral tone possible, but the blush that worked up Akaashi’s neck told him that Akaashi took it very seriously. Bokuto had to stop himself from smiling out of happiness.

 “I just confessed to you, and out of all that, _that’s_ what you have to say?”

“You – you confessed to me?”

“This is exactly what I mean!” Akaashi said in a raised voice. Bokuto thought he had enough surprises to last a week, but Akaashi? Having an outburst? “You – You don’t notice things you’re supposed to notice!”

Bokuto couldn’t help but let out a muffled laugh. “I’m sorry – what do you want me to say?”

Akaashi crossed his arms, his head completely down now. “I wanted to tell you when you confessed to me, but I – I just got a little scared.” Bokuto could hear a small tremor in his voice. “I didn’t want to…I’d have to compete with – with so many people for your attention.”

Bokuto thought he had been excited getting in line for this rollercoaster. But this just outcompeted that.

A thousand times over.

“Akaashi.”

Slowly, Akaashi lifted his gaze.

"Akaashi, you’ll never have to compete with anyone. Ever,” Bokuto said with a firm tone. Bokuto’s fingers flinched; he wanted to reach out to Akaashi, but he helf himself back. “You’ve already won.”

Behind them, they heard the screams of the riders who were just launched for their turn on the rollercoaster. Akaashi made a small sound, but Bokuto didn’t know if it was a reaction to what he had just told him or if it was because of the rollercoaster. Akaashi wasn’t a fan of rollercoasters, and Bokuto immediately felt the guilt well up in him at the thought that he had forced Akaashi to ride it with him.

“Akaashi, let’s get out of line and go somewhere,” Bokuto said soothingly, desperate to keep the atmosphere going. “Come on.”

Just as Bokuto turned around to get out of land, a cool hand made its way inside Bokuto’s. Bokuto held his breath.

“I can do it.” Then, in a stronger and louder voice, “Ride it with me, Bokuto-san.”

Bokuto’s smile was so large that he thought it would crack his face open. He spun around and tightened his grip on Akaashi’s hand, unable to let go.

“You mean it?” Bokuto asked, his face getting close to Akaashi’s.

For the first time, Akaashi’s gaze lingered on Bokuto’s. His cool, grey eyes looked into Bokuto as though he were the last thing he wanted to say before he died. Then, in all seriousness, “As long as you don’t scream my ear off.”

Bokuto let out a loud laugh, and Akaashi smiled at him for the first time in what seemed like a long time. One final thought lingered in Bokuto’s head right before Akaashi pulled them forward in line:

_I don’t need to try to fix what wasn’t broken in the first place._

**Author's Note:**

> ...I think I'm obsessed with italics and ellipses, oops?
> 
> Feedback - any type at all - is super appreciated! Thank you for taking your time to read this! <3


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